Christina Baker Kline has just about done it all over the course of her writing career --- more than a half-dozen novels in genres ranging from historical fiction to realistic contemporary fiction, as well as nonfiction books about motherhood and womanhood, not to mention dozens of essays, articles and short stories. She's even written screenplays! But she'd never turned her pen to crime fiction until teaming up with Anne Burt on PLEASE DON'T LIE, a taut thriller about one woman trying to make a fresh start after a past full of dark and painful secrets.

Once Hayley Stone left Florida for New York City, she pictured herself staying a city girl for life. But that was before her parents died in a fire that destroyed their lavish home, supposedly set by Hayley's troubled sister, Jenna. Not long after, Jenna's drug addiction claimed her life as well, leaving Hayley the sole heir to her family's substantial wealth, but also leaving her without a family. To compound her grief, Hayley's story became the target of numerous gossip blogs and true-crime podcasts questioning her own motives.

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kline's first thriller is just as readable as her earlier works. It's a bonus that PLEASE DON'T LIE is relatively short, making it a perfect fast-paced read for a weekend trip or a cozy night by the fire."

Is it any wonder that when Hayley (literally) bumped into a handsome man named Brandon at her sister's funeral, she was eager to start anew with him? Unlike Hayley, however, Brandon was not an avid city dweller. Although he tried for a while to make NYC work, after the two got married and he inherited his own family's property in the Adirondacks, he suggested that they move there full-time.

The novel opens as the two arrive in the isolated mountain town. Hayley's inheritance means she doesn't need to work for a living, so the newlyweds spend all their time and energy getting the house (and their pantry) ready to endure the long winter that's on its way. However, Hayley is lonely. She lost friends in the wake of her family tragedy, and her best friend has expressed misgivings about Brandon and the speed with which their relationship grew serious.

Making matters worse, the townspeople Hayley has encountered so far come off as unfriendly or downright hostile, hinting at an unpleasant local history with Brandon and his family. So when young, hip couple Megan and Tyler --- also recent transplants --- seem eager to strike up a friendship, Hayley quickly obliges, going so far as to offer their guest cottage when Megan and Tyler's apartment in town becomes unlivable.

But Hayley can't shake the looming feeling that something is not quite right, a mounting dread that only grows more intense as a winter storm bears down on the couple in their new mountain home. Who is Brandon, really? And who --- if anyone --- can Hayley trust?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kline's first thriller is just as readable as her earlier works. It's a bonus that PLEASE DON'T LIE is relatively short, making it a perfect fast-paced read for a weekend trip or a cozy night by the fire. Kline had written a nonfiction book with Burt, as well as a television script. Their teamwork is evident, not to mention their shared talent for propulsive, cinematic writing. And they clearly had fun writing this one. Without giving too much away, there's some clever commentary on the process of co-writing near the end of the novel.

Readers will be happy to know that Kline and Burt's second thriller collaboration, WATCH HER LIE, is scheduled to be released in November 2026.